partial bony Wisdom Teeth impactions, surgical extraction, gum pain

Pictures of Dentistry
and Dental Procedures

Click on the small photos below to enlarge.

partial bony Wisdom Teeth impactions, surgical extraction, gum pain
Image	Photo Description
	How to pictures show extraction technique of a partially erupted lower right wisdom tooth. 1) Tooth #32 is partially erupted above the gums. An incision is made using a #15 scalpel. 2) Pre-op xray. 3) Soft tissue reflection. 4) Wisdom tooth sectioned into pieces using high speed handpiece in order to eliminate the possibility of damaging the adjacent second molar. 5) Wisdom tooth extracted, socket sterilized, and exposed. 6) Sectioned remnants of wisdom tooth. 7) Surrounding tissue sutured using chromic gut 3-0 resorbable sutures. 8) Post-op x-ray.
	Rationale for removal of a wisdom tooth. 1) X-ray shows the impacted upper and lower wisdom teeth. 2) Picture of the lower impacted wisdom tooth partially submerged below the gums and leaning against the otherwise healthy second molar. This will frequently cause dental caries and infection in the gums over time.
	Extraction of a lower right partial bony impacted wisdom tooth. How to photos. 1) Soft tissue reflection. 2) & 3) Sectioning of the molar. 4) An elevator is being used to split the molar. 5) & 6) Lower forceps and an elevator are used to extract the split roots. 7) The extracted tooth in two sections. 8) Closure of the surgical site with stitches.
	An impacted wisdom tooth damages the healthy adjacent tooth. Tooth decay was created in the adjacent tooth by the wisdom tooth growing into it. The patient did not feel tooth pain. Treatment: Root canal and dental crown (the crown covers the area where the tooth decay was removed.
	Why wisdom teeth should be removed. The lower angular impacted wisdom tooth is leaning against the second molar and has caused a huge cavity. The second molar will probably need root canal and a crown to repair it. The patient did not feel tooth pain.
	Why wisdom teeth should be extracted: damage to the adjacent second molar. X-ray series. 1) - 2) Two xrays show an angular impacted mandibular wisdom tooth and pushing into the adjacent second molar causing a large area of tooth decay. 3) This x-ray was taken after the wisdom tooth removal and after the second molar received root canal therapy but with the large distal cavity still present. 4) Cast gold post and core and tooth crown in place. Note the distal crown margin completely covers where the distal dental caries were removed.
	Explanation about why wisdom tooth extraction should be considered by patients who do not feel tooth pain: damage to the adjacent second molar. These photos show preparation drilling of the second molar to remove the distal tooth decay after root canal therapy was performed on it and the wisdom tooth was removed. Photos 1) - 2) Dental caries is present in the distal area of the second molar. The temporary dental filling material is visible in the occlusal opening following root canal therapy. Photo 3) Decay removed. Photo 4) The temporary filling material is removed and shows gutta percha in root canal orifices prior to cast post and core preparation.
	Rationale for wisdom teeth extraction: damage to the adjacent second molar tooth. 1) This xray shows a mandibular angular impacted wisdom tooth causing a large cavity in the adjacent tooth. 2) Tooth decay is present in the distal area of the second molar. The temporary dental filling material is visible in the occlusal opening following root canal.
Information about these dental photos In medicine and dentistry "left" and "right" are based upon the orientation of the patient's body and not how they appear in a photograph of a smile. For example, a reference to the upper left teeth will actually appear to be on the right side when viewing a picture of the face and similarly an upper right tooth will appear to be on the left side. Many words in dentistry like oral and mouth have a similar meaning and are frequently used together to help our readers find specific words they best understand. This is particularly important because a majority of our visitors are from countries where English is not their primary language. Maxilla or maxillary refer to the upper jaw. Mandible or mandibular refer to the lower jaw. There are many other similar word combinations used throughout this website because our pages are read by patients and dentists. A few of the most common are discussed here. Tooth decay, tooth cavity and dental caries all mean the same thing. Tooth, teeth and dental are also frequently interchanged as in teeth veneers or dental veneer laminate. Oral rehabilitation and dental reconstruction mean smile makeover. The word for x-ray may be used with or without a hyphen (this is true for other words too) and can also be called a radiograph.